Topps has been the dominant force in the baseball card industry for decades, producing iconic rookie cards and legendary designs that collectors love. As baseball’s official licensed card maker, each year Topps releases new sets throughout the season capturing that year’s active players, top rookies, special parallel inserts, and more. Here is a comprehensive overview of Topps 2022 baseball card release dates, products, and key details collectors want to know.
Topps Opening Day – Release Date: Mid-February 2022
Typically one of the earliest releases each year, Topps Opening Day kicks off the new season with base cards showcasing all 30 MLB teams for the upcoming year. The 2022 version contained 330 total cards including parallels. Key rookie cards included in the base set were Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, and C.J. Abrams. Opening Day is popular with set builders and fans eager to get their hands on the first cards of rising young stars.
Topps Series 1 – Release Date: Early March 2022
As the flagship base set of the year, Topps Series 1 is always one of the biggest and most anticipated releases on the baseball card calendar. The 2022 Series 1 base set included 330 cards as well, continuing storylines from the previous season. A huge wave of exciting rookies debuted including SP Spencer Strider, 2B Oneil Cruz, and OF Estevan Florial among many others. Red parallels and paper short prints were chase inserts in this popular set.
Topps Series 2 – Release Date: Mid-May 2022
Halfway through the season, Series 2 arrived with updated stats and team changes from early season trades and callups. The base set totaled 330 cards yet again. Rookies like OF George Kirby and 3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand made their Topps debut in this set. Purple and “Gold” parallels were inserted along with sought-after autograph and memorabilia cards of top veterans and prospects. As with Series 1, this mid-year Update set is a essential piece in fully chronicling the 2022 MLB season.
Topps All-Star Voting – April/May 2022
To coincide with the actual All-Star Game voting process, Topps released various special All-Star voting inserts featuring the biggest names in each league. These were inserted primarily in Series 1 and Series 2 hobby boxes during the voting months to help raise awareness. Players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuña Jr. were featured in the red-bordered cards.
Topps Chrome – Release Date: Late June 2022
The premium parallel to the base Topps flagship sets, Chrome combines current-year design and photography with a shiny refracted chrome finish. Like the other Topps releases it contained 330 cards in the base set along with some of the best rookies like Spencer Strider. Orange and black parallels added to the appeal of this “rainbow foil” style favorite of collectors. Autographs and memorabilia cards stretched spending up for high-end buyers.
Topps Archives – Release Date: Mid-July 2022
A nostalgia-themed set celebrating Topps history, Archives mixes vintage designs from the 1950s-80s with 2022 player photos. The base set had 130 “flashback” cards in this year’s release including 15 retired player highlights. Foil parallel styles were inserted to resemble cardboard styles of the past. Short prints, autographs and other inserts elevated the appeal of this retro-themed fan favorite product.
Topps Allen & Ginter – Release Date: Late August 2022
A true “oddball” set without team logos, A&G offered fun variations like sketch or lineage cards mixed among the 330 base cards showing active players. Insert sets featured actors, musicians and historical figures alongside athletes in the parallel to “baseball cards”. Foil, auto and memorabilia inserts heightened the collector experience. Among young MLB stars featured were Adley Rutschman and Spencer Strider.
Topps Museum Collection – Release Date: September 2022
Drawing from Topps’ 65 years of making baseball cards, Museum Collection builds mini-sets honoring iconic years, sets, and players from the past. The 2022 release celebrated 1952 Topps, Hank Aaron’s 1974 award winners, and 1987 Topps Traded. It had 120 total cards and used retro-inspired designs. Short prints, parallels and hit inserts created a nostalgic high-end mix appealing to collectors both new and established.
Topps Chrome UPDATE – Release Date: Late September 2022
Following the same timing as the printed Topps Series 2 Update, Topps Chrome UPDATE arrived with additional rookie and trade inserts using Chrome’s popular foil technology. Rookie pitchers like George Kirby, Grayson Rodriguez and Luís Ortiz got updated Chrome renditions in this autumn supplement to the original Topps Chrome release earlier in the summer.
Topps Transcendent – Release Date: October 2022
Considered a true premium “high-end” product, each Transcendent master box contained one autographed card and three memorabilia cards including rare game-used memorabilia. Accompanied by magnificent photo and design selections both modern and retro, this limited-edition October set was truly meant for the most avid collectors seeking ultra-rare vintage-style cards of all-time greats like Mike Trout, Ken Griffey Jr, and Clayton Kershaw.
Topps Year In Review – Late Fall/Winter 2022
Coming after the conclusion of the World Series, Topps Year In Review looks back with updated stats and key photographs from the just-finished season in a standard 330 card base set. Along with standouts from the postseason like Aaron Judge, it wraps up the 2022 Topps baseball card year nicely.
This detailed overview provides a sense of Topps’ extensive baseball card release schedule throughout 2022 and the exciting new products available to collectors each step of the season. With a mix of flagship products, nostalgia sets, and high-end releases, Topps captivated hobbyists from casual to hardcore with its continuous rollout of new releases during the baseball year. Collectors could follow their favorite players’ cards debuts and improvements across the varied Topps sets. This helps ensure Topps will continue its dominance in licensed sports cards for many years to come.
